North Korea’s Kim calls South Korea a ‘hostile nation,’ threatens to use force

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has referred to South Korea as a hostile foreign nation and warned that the North will use physical force if the South infringes upon its sovereignty, the state media said on Oct. 18.Kim’s remarks were made during his visit to the headquarters of the 2nd Corps of the Korean People’s Army on Oct. 17, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). North Korea recently blew up roads and railways that were once connected to the South. Kim stressed that the destruction of the Gyeongui and Donghae railways was more than just “physical closure.” He said it symbolized “cutting off the long-standing bad blood” with the South, severing ties and erasing the “unrealistic notion of unification,” the KCNA reported.

“It was also a final warning that, in the future, if South Korea, a hostile enemy, violates our sovereignty, physical force will be used without any further consideration or hesitation,” he added.KCNA said Kim received reports from his corps commanders, inspected military readiness, and examined documents outlining military action plans. In a newly released photo, Kim is seen with his top military aides, reviewing a large map that allegedly includes Seoul and other key locations in South Korea.